Brand Design Process

What to expect when briefing a designer for logo design

Many Designers have followed a well trodden brand design process when creating logos for their clients, in fact most will have been schooled this way at Art college. A previous article gives budding designers and clients and insight into logo design creation which can be seen here: top-tips-for-logo-design.

Here we outline the process of designing a logo for clients, to help understand what is involved.

Logos look so easy don’t they? They often look like they’ve been created very quickly, but it’s not as simple as that. A lot of work goes into making a logo look smooth and elegant, the end result doesn’t show the number of iterations it took to get there. Let’s explore why this is…

1. The Brief
We take as much detail from the client as possible, asking questions about their target market and how they perceive their business and its projected growth.

2. Research
We will research your business area, your competitors and assess their brands. Every design project is a problem solving exercise and we work out what is best for you.

3. Sketches and Concepts
Starting on good old fashioned paper we sketch out ideas and continue researching fonts to see which will work best with the message you want to give for your business. Many sketches do not get taken forward to digital format, all the time we are experimenting and binning the weaker designs. This is the most important stage of the whole branding process, it can be several hours before we move onto the computer. Sketching is the thinking time when we kick-off ideas.

4. Reflection and Consideration
Once we have digitised the best ideas, we will often sit back, sleep on what we have done and review the logos the next day. New ideas may be worked on before any designs are presented to the client. More sketches created and the logos digitised in vector format and maybe reject some of the earlier designs.

You will be presented with a number of our best logos for your consideration
This is where your input is key to getting the best possible result. There are usually a few that are hitting the spot and your feedback is important to us.

Communication with the client is an important two-way process – we advise you on why a certain logo has mileage and what new ideas will work and what won’t.

5. Revisions and refining
We will revise the designs which have the most promise, some may just need some refinements to make them flow better or be made more elegant, stronger or have a colour change.

The revised logos or logo will be presented to you for final approval
Normally there is a logo that shines through as having answered your brief. If not we will develop the designs further.

6. Development
We constantly review the logo design and make sure that it is:Memorable
Easy to read
Clean
Versatile
Timeless
Unique

Your final logo design will be refined further, sometimes in very small ways to make it perfect, sometimes you may not even notice the changes.

7. Logo Delivery
Once everyone is satisfied with the logo, we will provide you with a suite of logos for use on different media. These will be for print and web and will be in different sizes, colour modes and resolution. We will also provide you with a square version if the logo does not already have a square footprint. It is important to have a logo that will work and can be easily recognised in a single colour, usually black, that way you know your brand has its own personality.

We LOVE creating logos – they are so important for your business presence and we want to do the best for our clients. Interested?